Wisconsin's REWARD program provides supplemental pay to early childhood educators based on their education level and commitment to their early education program. REWARD is designed to retain and support the professional development of early childhood educators; in turn, this creates a more stable workforce with the skills needed to support young children's healthy learning and development. Supplements range from $500 to $1,900 per educator per year, with an average payment of $615. Amounts increase as educators obtain more formal education, and educators must remain in their early education program for at least six months to qualify for an award. In FY22, REWARD provided supplements to 11,381 early educators; turnover among recipients was 1%, which is much lower than the estimated 26-40% turnover rate among educators in licensed child care programs nationwide. Learn More: REWARD Program Sources:Wisconsin AEYC. (n.d.). REWARD Wisconsin.

Established in 2016, the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Data Ecosystem is a comprehensive health integrated data system that includes vital records, child welfare services, and early childhood services (e.g., home visiting, early intervention, child care subsidy, and Head Start). The system functions as a series of data requests and data-sharing agreements across multiple programs and multiple agencies, including the Department of Education. The system shares demographic, program, and individual level data using a unique identifier. The system is funded through federal Medicaid funds, Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act funds, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants, Preschool Development Grants Birth Through 5, CARES Act funds, and the CDC Health Disparities grant program. Learn more: About the Rhode Island Ecosystem Sources:Berkowitz, E. & Jenkins, D. (2021). AISP Case Study: How the Rhode Island EOHHS Ecosystem Leverages Federal Funding to Support State Data Capacity. Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy. University of Pennsylvania.

First in 2006, and then again in a 2014 reauthorization that extends through 2026, voters approved an allocation of 0.15 percent of sales and use taxes for the Denver Preschool Program (DPP). About 80% of the DPP funds go to families in the form of tuition credits. Learn More/source: Denver Preschool Program

In 2009, in an initiative called "SA 2020," Mayor Julián Castro asked San Antonio residents to consider what they wanted their community to look like in 10 years. To consider where the city should put its resources to achieve their collective vision, Castro established the Brainpower Initiative Task Force, composed of business and community leaders and scholars. This task force recommended that the city fund high-quality prekindergarten for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In 2012, 54% of San Antonio voters approved a referendum to fund Pre-K 4 SA through a one-eighth-cent sales tax. Annually, the tax raises $36 million for preschool funding each year. Learn More: Pre-K 4 SA

In July 2022, Mayor London Breed launched the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood (DEC), dedicating $300 million annually to support the city’s goal of providing universal early education and care to all young children. The bulk of the revenue comes from the Commercial Rents Tax (also referred to as the Early Care and Education Commercial Rents Tax). DEC is the result of a merger of two existing city departments, First 5 and the Office of Early Care and Education. Learn more/source: San Francisco Department of Early Childhood

In 2004, San Francisco voters approved the ballot measure Proposition H by 71%, establishing the Public Education Enrichment Fund (PEEF) as law within the City Charter. The PEEF supports the design and implementation of diverse educational programs for San Francisco’s youth, and is funded annually by the City of San Francisco’s discretionary General Fund. One-third of the PEEF—approximately $20 million per year—is allocated to expanding and supporting early care and education programs in San Francisco. In the years following Proposition H’s passage, funds were distributed to First 5 San Francisco to create Preschool for All (PFA), with the goal of ensuring that all San Francisco four-year-olds could attend high-quality preschool. In July 2015, administration of these funds was transferred from First 5 San Francisco to the city’s Office of Early Care and Education, which has used the funds to expand access to preschool for children between the ages of three and five years who are city residents.  The remaining two-thirds of the Public Education Enrichment Fund is allocated to the San Francisco Unified School District.  LEARN MORE: PUBLIC EDUCATION ENRICHMENT FUND (PEEF) Sources: San Francisco Unified School District. (n.d.). Public Education Enrichment Fund (PEEF) City of San Francisco. (n.d.). Public Education Enrichment Fund (PEEF). San Francisco Human Services Agency. (2016). San Francisco Citywide Plan for Early Care and Education.

In August 2022, Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS) opened a low-cost early learning center to serve children of district employees between the ages of 12 months and three years. The center was created with, and is now supported by, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding and a state subsidy for licensed child care providers.   The SFPS Early Childhood Center is licensed by the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, and is located in a district elementary school. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., five days a week, and aligns with the SFPS school-year calendar for teachers. Forty-four seats are available, with 12 for 12-month-old children, 16 for two-year-olds, and 16 for three-year-olds. Students are selected through a lottery system.  Of the 44 available seats, 70% are offered to district teachers and 30% to district staff. Monthly costs range from $150 a month for educational support professionals to $250 a month for teachers, administrators, and district staff.  Program leaders hope that the SFPS Early Childhood Center will assist with employee retention across the district and demonstrate a firm commitment to staff well-being.  learn more: santa fe public schools early childhood center Sources: Dynarski, C. (2022, April 8). SFPS to Open SFPS Early Childhood Center for Employees’ Children. Santa Fe Public Schools. Santa Fe Public Schools. (n.d.). SFPS Early Childhood Center.

In February 2023, the Oregon State Legislature passed SB 599, requiring landlords to allow child care providers to operate in rental properties if tenants meet certain requirements. The bill drew bipartisan support and passed by a large margin. Legislators aimed to ameliorate the state’s shortage of child care options, particularly in rural areas. The law went into effect on January 1, 2024.   To operate in a rental property, tenants must be registered child care providers with the state. Tenants must also tell the landlord that they plan to use the rental unit for child care services.  SB 599 also restricts landlords from raising rent, terminating a tenancy, or taking other retaliatory actions against tenants who choose to operate a family child care program in their rental unit.  learn more: sb 599 Sources: Botkin, B. (2023, February 15). Senate passes bill that’s expected to expand child care options in the state. Oregon Capital Chronicle. S.B. 599, 82nd Oregon Legislative Assembly. (2023).

In 2018, Seattle instituted a 1.75 cents per ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, which benefits multiple municipal programs, including the Seattle Preschool Program. In FY2020, the fund produced almost $5 million to invest in early learning and child development programs. Learn More/Source: Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax

In December 2023, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved $17.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the Supportive, Healthy, Innovative, Nurturing Environments (SHINE CCFF) initiative. A collaboration between the Low Income Invest Fund (LIIF), Volunteers of America Texas, LiftFund, and the Harris County Commissioners Court, SHINE CCFF helps providers with construction, remodeling, and expansion projects for the spaces where they offer early learning and care.   SHINE CCFF awards grants to expand or rehabilitate both home and center-based early education facilities and offers free technical assistance to help providers assess a project’s feasibility and apply for the grant. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to, physical facility and site renovation costs, equipment necessary for health and safety, playground equipment, security upgrades, and parking improvements. Eligible expenses also include improvements that increase a program’s ADA accessibility for children, parents, guardians, or staff with special physical or mental health needs.  The program prioritizes applicants with urgent needs, programs where at least 20% of enrolled children receive Child Care Services or scholarships from the Harris County Early REACH program, providers serving infants and toddlers, and programs in an area that has a Social Vulnerability Index score of .75 or above, among other factors. SHINE CCFF aims to award all grants by March 2025. All projects must be completed by September 2026.  learn more: shine child care facilities fund Sources: Harris County SHINE Child Care Facilities Fund. (n.d.). Program Overview. Harris County Office of County Administration. (n.d.). Shine Child Care Facilities Fund.

In 2025, the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Early Childhood launched the Smart Start Workforce Grants to increase wages for early educators and child care providers. Through Smart Start Workforce Grants, licensed center- and home-based early learning programs  can receive funds to invest in personnel. The grants are part of Governor JB Pritzker’s five-year Smart Start Illinois plan, which began in 2023.  Smart Start Workforce Grants give participating programs quarterly funding in advance—either $6,000 and $6,750, depending on the age of children the programs serve. Home-based providers are eligible for a base award of $2,250, and additional funding if they have an assistant. Participating programs are required to pay teachers, assistant teachers, and school staff at or above a wage floor, which ranges from $17.00 to $19.25 per hour, depending on the region. The National Women’s Law Center estimates that these changes result in a wage increase of about $2 to $4 per hour, on average.  To receive a grant, programs must be licensed and must offer at least eight consecutive hours of care per day, five days a week, 47 weeks per year.  The grants are funded by state general funds. For FY 2025, the Illinois General Assembly allocated $158.5 million to the Illinois Department of Human Services to fund both the Smart Start Workforce Grants and the Child Care Assistance Program.  learn more: smart start workforce grants Sources: Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Smart Start Workforce Grants. Mondragón, M. (2024). A Pathway to Parity in Illinois. Start Early. Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood. (2024). Smart Start Workforce Grant Community Engagement Report. Erikson Institute. (2024). General Assembly Passes Budget and Bills to Support Early Care and Education. Oppermann, H. (2024). Five Lessons from Illinois’ Investment in the Child Care Workforce. National Women's Law Center.

In 2014, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the City of Chicago partnered with the Goldman Sachs Social Impact Fund, the Northern Trust Company, and the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation to launch the Chicago Child-Parent Center Pay for Success Initiative funded by a Pay-for-Success contract. The contract allowed the City to expand high-quality pre-K services to more than 2,600 low-income 4-year-olds across eight schools. The funding partners provided nearly $17 million in upfront capital and included a 4-year service delivery term, and a 17-year evaluation and repayment term. In a pay-for-success model, lenders provide the upfront capital necessary to operate a program that produces long term avoided costs to the government. The government then uses those savings to repay the lenders. Learn More: Urban Institute